Pass the drive test before you turn 18 and your license says “provisional” — with three real restrictions for the first 12 months: no late-night driving, no under-20 passengers, and no driving for pay. Here are the exact rules, the four signed-note exceptions, and what happens if you break them. Ind
We’re an independent guide — not the DMV. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the California Department of Motor Vehicles or dmv.ca.gov. Appointments can only be booked on the DMV’s official systems.
When you pass your drive test before your 18th birthday, the license the DMV issues you has the word “provisional” printed on it. Per the DMV’s teen driver guidance, you are considered a provisional driver for the first 12 months you hold the license — and it’s during this period that the restrictions below apply.
These rules come from Vehicle Code § 12814.6, the Brady-Jared Teen Driver Safety Act of 1997 — the law written specifically for drivers under 18.
How you get here: to reach the provisional license you need to be at least 16, hold your instruction permit for at least 6 months, complete driver education and driver training, and log 50 hours of supervised practice (including 10 at night) with a California-licensed driver 25 or older. The full practice plan — the DMV log, the week-by-week schedule, and the readiness checklist — is on our California teen driver’s permit practice page. The Class C original fee is $46 — see our DMV fees guide and the full teen journey on our teens page. The permit stage itself — who can get one, what to bring, the knowledge test, the restrictions, and the 12-month deadline — is covered in full on our California learner’s permit guide.
During the first 12 months, a provisional driver cannot do the following:
| # | Restriction | The exact rule |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Late-night driving | No driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. — unless one of the four exceptions below applies. |
| 2 | Passengers under 20 | No passengers under 20 years old unless a parent/guardian, a California-licensed driver 25 or older, or a licensed/certified driving instructor rides along. |
| 3 | Driving for pay / commercial vehicles | Cannot drive for pay, and cannot operate any vehicle requiring a commercial Class A, B, or C license. |
What’s not restricted: the rules say nothing about freeway driving — freeways are fine. And this is the big step up from the permit: a provisional license lets you drive alone. (Note: California law also prohibits cell phone use while driving for drivers under 18.)
The curfew and passenger rules aren’t absolute. Four situations qualify for an exception — but each requires a signed note carried in the vehicle, and each has a specific person who must sign it:
| Exception | Who signs the note | What the note must say |
|---|---|---|
| Medical need | Your physician | The medical condition and the expected recovery date — for when no other reasonable transportation is available. |
| Schooling / school activity | The school principal, dean, or designee | Confirmation of the schooling or school activity. |
| Work | Your employer | Confirmation that you are employed — e.g., driving to or from a late shift. |
| Immediate family member | Your parent or legal guardian | The reason, the family member involved, and when the need will end — e.g., driving a sick family member at night. |
Practical tip: the note must be in the vehicle with you. An unsigned note, a note signed by the wrong person, or a note left at home doesn’t count.
The statute phrases the restrictions as applying during the first 12 months after the license is issued — and the license carries the word “provisional” while you are under 18. Those are two separate facts, and the handbook presents them side by side without inventing a combined rule. So: the restrictions cover the first 12 months, and the provisional designation applies to licenses held under 18.
Why it matters: most teens are licensed at 16 or 17, so the 12-month restriction period and the under-18 designation typically run together. Don’t assume restrictions vanish on a birthday or assume they persist forever — the verified wording is first 12 months plus “provisional” while under 18.
Breaking the provisional restrictions — or racking up collisions and tickets — triggers the DMV’s graduated penalty schedule for provisional drivers, as published in the California Driver Handbook:
| Within 12 months | What the DMV does |
|---|---|
| 1 at-fault collision or traffic violation | Warning letter from the DMV. |
| 2 at-fault collisions or violations | Driving restricted to supervised only for 30 days — you may only drive with a parent/guardian or a California-licensed driver 25+ in the car. |
| 3 at-fault collisions or violations | License suspended for 6 months plus 1 year of probation. |
| Any violation while on probation | Further suspension. |
Two things people don’t expect: penalty periods run their full term even if you turn 18 mid-penalty — turning 18 doesn’t cancel a suspension. And failure to appear in court for a traffic ticket gets your license suspended until you appear. (We don’t list fine amounts — they vary and we only publish verified figures.)
A parent or legal guardian can cancel their teen’s driver license at any time — no violation required — by completing the DMV’s Request for Cancellation or Surrender of a Driver License or ID Card form. This is the same handbook page that lists the restrictions, and it’s worth knowing about before the license is issued, not after.
The provisional designation ends at 18 — the handbook’s rule is that the license says “provisional” when you are under 18. Driving schools report that the license then functions as a full license and the teen may keep the photo license or pay for a duplicate without the word “provisional.”
Contrast with the 18+ path: adults getting their first license at 18 or older skip the provisional phase entirely — no curfew, no passenger limits. See our driving test appointment guide for booking and driving test tips for test-day rules that apply to everyone.
The restrictions apply during the first 12 months after the license is issued, and the license says “provisional” while you’re under 18. Both facts come from the California Driver Handbook.
No — not if they’re under 20, unless your parent/guardian or a California-licensed driver 25 or older is in the car with you. That’s the passenger restriction, no exceptions for “just a short trip.”
Yes — if you carry a signed note from your employer confirming your employment (the work exception). The note must be in the vehicle with you.
It escalates: a warning letter for the first at-fault collision or violation within 12 months, 30 days of supervised-only driving for the second, and a 6-month suspension plus 1-year probation for the third. Penalty periods continue their full term even if you turn 18.
The provisional designation ends at 18. Driving schools report you may keep your existing photo license or pay for a duplicate that doesn’t say “provisional” — check with the DMV if you want the clean card.
Yes. A parent or legal guardian can cancel a teen’s license at any time by completing the DMV’s Request for Cancellation or Surrender of a Driver License or ID Card form. No violation or hearing is required.
Yes — that’s the immediate-family exception. You need a note signed by your parent or legal guardian stating the reason, the family member, and when the need will end, carried in the vehicle.
Only in two cases: with a parent/guardian-signed family-need note in the car, or with a parent/guardian or a California-licensed driver 25+ riding along. Siblings count as passengers under 20 — there’s no “family member” loophole without the note.
Booking happens on the DMV’s official scheduler — check the requirements on our teens page, then grab your slot.
Book on dmv.ca.gov →Last verified against dmv.ca.gov: October 15, 2026. DMV procedures change — if something on this page looks out of date, check the official handbook link above.